After lots of research for weeks now I finally ordered a Canon XH A1, Hoya filter kit, Rode microphone kit, Bogan 501HDV tripod head, Varizoom VZrock controller, and more. I will be doing my editing on a MacBook Pro using FCP
Suite. I also ordered 2GB of ram upgrade, two LaCie 320GB d2 Extreme hard drives, and a wireless keyboard/mouse from Logitech. There was lots of info gleaned from this forum to assist with my decisions.

One very important item that I have not ordered is a new monitor. I've read everything I can find on this forum and elsewhere but I'm unable to decide. I need some help/opinions from those of you who have purchased a 24" LCD. This is definitely the size that I want but which one? I need to stay below $700.00 and like everyone else want the most bang for the buck considering what features are most important for editing and HD playback. Monitors that I'm considering are the Dell, Gateway, and Benq. I am also considering putting off buying the 24" monitor and temporally going with a much less expensive 22 monitor until the 24" ones improve a bit more, meaning 1080P, HDMI, HDCP, and 1:1 pixel capable. Any thoughts/comments/suggestions?
I'm fairly new at this so those with editing backgrounds and experience, please fire away.

If any of those screens you mentioned do 1080, then they do 1080P. The Dell now has HDCP but only on the DVI connector, I doubt any monitor will come out with an HDMI port. You could connect an HDMI player/ whatever using a HDMI - DVI gender bender, but then you've got no pc screen. As a pc screen the Dell is very good but IMHO it ain't nearly good enough to proof HD for colour.

I'm not sure what 1:1 pixel capable is? The Dell will show either 1080 X 1920 using just 1080 lines of the 1200 available (letterbox), or it will scale it to use the full 1200, at your whim.

I run a Matrox Apve Dual Head with a Dell 2407 on one DVI port and a Sony 46" X series Bravia on the other using component (the Matrox has no HDCP and the DVI/ HDMI gender bender trick doesn't work - a timing problem perhaps) Anyway, playing my HD content through both at once you could believe you're looking at two different movies.

I'd suggest the Apple 23" HD and, later, the Matrox MXO. I use the A1 and HV20, MBP 17"/2Gb and FCP.

The monitor, although 23", is 1080p and with the MXO will allow you to monitor in HD (and therefore color-correct) and also output to SD in real time without having to conform the HDV. Ther MXO will also allow you to do frame-accurate previews in other apps like After Effects and Photoshop.

I've grappled over this for a month now and finally just got a 22 inch. The 24 inch monitors are very expensive in Canada. The apple cinema displays, huge cash.

I ended up getting the HP w2207, just out, and unfortunately not on sale yet here. But in the states you can get it for the $300 range.

It is nicer quality than the standard 22's, has an adjustable stand and does portrait as well, and since I'm a designer that comes in handy. I was waiting on the samsung 226bw price drop but it has no height adjustment and doesn't flip portrait but is a good monitor in the 22 range. I was looking at it and walked by the HP and changed my mind.

there is a samsung due out this week that has I think hdmi inputs of some sort,

Thanks Chris, Bill, and Trish for sharing your thoughts and work flows. This helps sort through some of all there is to consider when getting more heavily involved in this stuff. I'm awaiting the delivery of my camera like a kid waiting for Christmas.

Bill, Do you think that the new FCP Suite II will change the way you work? Would the MXO still be required since FPC will handle so many types of footage on the same time line?

I've posted this question elsewhere, including how the AJA ioHD might impact the workflow. My guess is that FCP Studio 2, even with the open timeline, will only take care of bringing all this stuff in, but will not provide HD resolution output to monitor.

There has been talk that it will allow some monitoring through firewire, but I don't believe it will be HD. In any event, I'd wait for FCP's release in May before I made a lot of investments and, on the monitor, remember the Apple Cinema, though pricey, has dropped several hundred dollars in the last month and has 1920 x 1200 resolution.

Bill

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